


789

by rachs2000



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth, F/F, F/M, M/M, Miracle Day, Season/Series 03, Season/Series 04, The 456, janto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-14 14:06:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7174880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachs2000/pseuds/rachs2000
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were a few things the scientists of the 456 got wrong when they tested the virus. Besides the hormones produced by children, they thought that everyone in the human race was the same. So when the child they tested on stayed dead... they expected the adults would, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

My children were finally safe. The 456 were gone, and the world would be forever grateful to Captain Jack Harkness. He saved so many of the Earth's youngest citizens, but there were quite a few adults he couldn't save... including my wife. Elizabeth and the other victims of the recent incident in Thames house were killed without more than a second's warning. And here they still are, lying under tarps on the floor. I haven't moved since they let me inside earlier today.

I don't know why or how this happened. Apparently the 456 randomly released a virus into the building and set it to lockdown. How did they even do that? How did they fill the entire building with the virus? How did they lock the doors?

"Mummy, I'm hungry," Louis says from my left. For the first time in an hour I look at him. His eyes are as full of tears as mine are, but he seems bored of crying.

"I guess we can grab lunch," I tell him, looking back at his stepmum. We finally stand up and turn to the exit. As we're walking out of the room, I hear something moving behind me. I whip back around in foolish hopes that my love has come back to life.

She hasn't. Instead, a young man has risen, looking around the room. He has dark skin and features and looks about 25. In a low voice, he asks, "Where am I?"

Louis screams. I cover his mouth; I don't want to be thrown out of the building while something like this is happening.

The next person to yawn and move around is a red-haired girl who doesn't seem to be out of school yet. "Dad?" She lifts the tarp of the person to her right and her eyes widen.

I stare intently at Elizabeth, hoping she'll be the next to wake. After a couple more youngsters spring up, I realize it may be in order of health. She was always the most fit of the two of us, so I expect she'll be up soon. "Louis," I say quietly, "let's get lunch later." He nods.

We sit back down and wait for the most recent addition to our family to add herself back to it. After about ten more minutes, I see her hand move. "D... Daisy?"

"Elizabeth!" I rush to her side and throw her tarp to the side. It lands on the deceased person next to her. He yelps. "Sorry," I chuckle, not really caring about anything but my newly arisen wife.

The man sits up, pushing aside her tarp and his. "Where's Jack?"


	2. Chapter 1

How was I alive? I looked around the room to see several other dead people sitting up and asking each other the same question.

"Do you think we just passed out?"

"We were laid out like we were dead, and I'm sure at least one person would notice if we weren't."

"Dad, wake up!"

"Maybe it was a curse and the 456 lifted it once it got its children..."

"Oh, my God, my children!"

The only adult in the room who didn't seem to have a grave in the room stood up from where she was kneeling, next to my left neighbor. "The 456 is gone. The children were saved."

The man who mentioned a curse the first time spoke up once again. "So maybe the curse was lifted when it died?"

This was ridiculous. It wasn't a curse, maybe the virus just didn't work as planned. How would the 456 even know if it was deadly to humans? All that mattered right now was finding Jack. I started to stand, but I felt dizzy. As soon as I lifted myself, I fell back down.

"You okay there?" asked the woman who was never dead.

"I think so."

She held out her hand, either to shake mine or to help me up. I accepted it and she did both. "I'm Daisy, Elizabeth's wife." I assumed that Elizabeth was the woman she had been kneeling next to. Maybe she thought we knew each other because we had been laid next to each other. We  
didn't. We were dead.

"Ianto Jones. You didn't see a handsome man in a military coat walk out of here, did you?" I looked to my other side to see the tarp he had probably been under, even though I already knew he wasn't there.

"No, why?"

"I need to find him."

Last time I saw Jack, the last time I was alive, I told him I loved him. His response was "Don't." Did that mean he didn't love me back? Or that he didn't want to?

"Is he your boyfriend?" asked a little boy standing near us. I was surprised at how calmly he said it, without any hint of disgust or malice, until I realized he was probably the son of the women next to me.

"I... I don't know."

He looked at me for a second and then lost all interest, turning to the woman I now knew as Daisy. "Can we get lunch now?"

"Soon." Turning to Elizabeth, she asked, "Do you think you could stand?" Elizabeth nodded and took Daisy's hand. Daisy helped her up.

"Do you think I could get a ride?" I asked. "My mode of transportation is gone."

"I'm sure he's trustworthy," Daisy said to Elizabeth. "I mean, he was next to such a beauty this entire time without doing anything." She chuckled, probably more at the happiness of her dead wife returning from the dead than at her own joke.

"We've only just met the man, are you sure you want to seat him next to your kid?"

"I guess that's a good point..."

"Excuse me, right here." I waved. "If you don't want me next to any one of you, I don't mind taking the bus." I reached into my pocket to find it empty. "Never mind. Could I at least borrow someone's phone to call my sister?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Honey, do you mind sitting in the back with Louis? Ianto can have the front."

"Sure."

"Thank you so much," I said. "I'm sorry I can't pay you."

I told them Rhiannon's adress so they could drop me off there. I assumed it wasn't dangerous since the government was no longer trying to find me. Since I wasn't sure where Jack would be, I would first tell my family that I was alive and then I would see if Gwen still lived in the same flat.

"So who are you going to tell first?" Elizabeth asked. "I know my friends will be surprised."

"My sister," I answered. "Since I can't find Jack. Then I'm going to try and find--"

"Wait," Daisy interrupted. "When you say Jack..."

"Captain Jack Harkness, my former boss and..." And what? What were we? It was known that we were together, but we never made anything official.

There was silence until they realized that I wasn't going to finish my sentenct. "I know who that is," Daisy continued. "He's the one who got rid of the 456. I've seen him since, at the restaurant I work at. He's shown up at 18:45 every day for the past week. He always seems so sad."

"What restaurant?"

"Valentino's."

Valentino's. 18:45. Our first date.

I checked the clock. 13:01. I had just under 6 hours before I could see Jack again. Maybe I could arrive a bit early and surprise him.

"Here's my number," Daisy said, handing me a slip of paper. "My shift starts at 18:30. Call me before 18:15 if you want a ride."

"Thank you again," I replied, pocketing the note. Maybe I would take her up on her offer.

They dropped me off at Rhiannon's house and I walked up to the door. What would she think? Had she even been told that I was dead? Were the kids okay? Had they been told?

Johnny opened the door. He looked at me in shock, and didn't say anything.

"Is Rhiannon here?" I asked. He still said nothing.

"Who's at the door, then?" I heard her call from inside. "Is it another one of Ianto's co-workers?" So at least one of them had been here? Probably Gwen, if she was just referring to her as one of my co-workers. "Johnny?"

She appeared behind him in the doorway since he never answered. "Y-Ianto?"

"Yep, it's me."

She slowly turned towards Johnny. She was obviously as shocked as he was, but she was able to handle it better. "I told you we shouldn't tell the kids yet."


	3. Chapter 2

David and Mica were happy to see me, but they didn't know that I was dead in the first place. I decided that I would spend the majority of my time with them. Gwen could wait, and Jack had to.

I finally took Mica to that movie I had promised, although I had to borrow money from their parents. Fortunately they understood that my wallet and all of my belongings were taken when I died. David came along and told me that his birthday was coming in a few weeks, too. I assured him that I knew.

Realising that I still had some money left, I bought them ice cream afterward. I couldn't get any for myself, but I didn't need any.

After I got the kids home safely, I walked to Gwen's flat. I had to walk slowly so I didn't break a sweat, since it was a long walk and I didn't want to ruin my suit before I saw Jack. He always liked me in a suit.

No one answered the door, so I took the spare key from where she always left it. Opening the door, I saw that there was no one inside, but a bunch of boxes littering the floor. Most looked like they were packed to move. Some were new, containing things needed to take care of a baby. Right, Gwen was pregnant, wasn't she? I considered leaving a note, but I realised that they'd assume it was fake. And since there was no one there, I left.

So I went to the closest public park and waited. Around 18:00 I went to the phone booth across the street and called the number Daisy had given me and told her that I would like a ride. She asked where to pick me up, and I gave her the name of the park. After hanging up, I sat back down on a park bench and did nothing for the next 20 minute. I didn't exactly have anything to do. No book, no electronic device, no one to talk to.

At 18:20 she arrived and drove me to the restaurant. Since I was so early, I knew Jack wouldn't be there for a while. I sat at our table and ordered a water.

At 18:30 Daisy had to start working, so I was alone again, but I only had 15 minutes to wait.

At 18:40 I started watching the door.

At 18:50 he wasn't there yet.

At 17:00 I think I saw him. Someone was standing outside, looking at the door. The door was opaque, but I could see him through the window. He was wearing a long, gray, military coat. Then he turned around. I hurried to the door to stop him from leaving, but by the time I had opened it, he was nowhere to be seen.

Jack:

Everyone I loved had or would die because of me. All of my employees, no, friends, except Gwen. Sweet Ianto. Even my own grandson. If I stayed, Gwen and Rhys and Alice would all die. Then I would befriend more people only to have them killed as well.

I needed to find the Doctor. At this point, I had chosen my beloved mortals over him, but he was the only one who couldn't die. Well, I guess he could, but he could regenerate. He would come back to life every time he died because of me.

I needed to stop moping over my losses, especially since they were completely my fault. I didn't have to bring Ianto with me. I could have used a different child, or found some other way to transmit the signal.

But as I looked at the restaurant where I went on my first date with Ianto, I thought, maybe one more day of moping couldn't hurt.

I was already late, or as late as you can be to a date with yourself. All of this thinking took up some time. Still, I approached the door. I stared at it, remembering the perfect gentleman who had opened it to let me through. I only had myself now, but I was no gentleman. So why should I open it for myself?

Why did I come here anyway? It's not like I would see him. He was gone. Forever. I needed to accept that and move on. So I turned around, and I walked away. I couldn't abandon his ghost, but I didn't have to follow it. I knew it would follow me forever anyway. I promised him 1,000 years, and I couldn't break that promise, even if I tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic may be on hold for a bit because I have something else that I'm writing and it actually has a deadline. If I see comments from people who are sad about the possibility of no updates for a month, I'll try harder to update sooner.


End file.
